Surcharges and fees, Government taxes and Fees

Could someone help me in determining how to calculate the costs which use percentages within these sections : Federal Universal Service Charge (.179%), SC universal service charge (2.07%), and SC state sales tax- Telecom?

I have a plan which includes mobile share data, as well as, access iPhone 4G for 3 lines.

I have not been able to find where exactly these percentages are applied in order to come to the amounts charged to my bill for each. Those I spoke with at at&t were not able to give me a very definite answer and they actually gave me multiple answers....

I believe that this information should be provided as the charges can total $20-$40 easily on my bill each month.

I have been told they would not be applied to the amounts which go towards my iPhone installment payments (as they are supposed to be charges by the government based solely on phone usage). I have also been told they are applied solely to the access iPhone 4G charges, to the entire phone charges on the account, or applied specifically to the calls and based on usage. ( In their system automatically generated and that they are unaware how it would be applied or how the system does this)....I am also unsure as to how they would apply the "other surcharges and fees" (1.00%+ 0.37) as they deem necessary or how it would be shown in my bill if these charges were applied to my bill.

Seeing as how it is a percent, I would assume it is applied to an amount already first determined for my bill.....

The amounts shown below are based on the highest fee/surcharge rates assessed in your state; your actual fees/surcharges may be less. In addition to the AT&T charges described below, you will be billed for mandatory taxes and fees imposed by federal, state, and local governments on wireless subscribers.

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Award for Community Excellence 2019 Achiever**I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

I have a similar issue as yours, also wondering why every other line has different surcharges & fees like City Utility Users Tax . I upgraded 1 line to an apple product (iphone8) and the fees are more than the previous Android phone upgrade I did months earlier. It's twice the amount, also did ask about that to ATT customer service but did not give an satisfying answer, Why every line has different charges...it may be both an upgrade or existing ones? It maybe small amounts as they say but with 5 lines in the account, it's costing me a $39 government & surcharges fees.

@cberg23, one of the lines has the data plan, so that line is more expensive.

Without more details, it’s impossible to even guess on the other differences. What is the itemized breakout of those totals? Are all the lines on the same plan? Any differences (insurance, etc)? Are they all phones?

Award for Community Excellence 2019 Achiever**I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

The differences are in the sales tax amounts (city and states). Since those are based on percentages, it stands to reason the pricing is different for those two lines vs. the third.

What is different about the line that is lower?

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What plan is this? If you are on an old plan, or if some phones are on an old plan, that would effect taxes.

$12.60? That’s high. Unless you have something else on the line, like roaming or long distance calls, which are taxed, that’s not normal.

If you are looking at a customer service summary, rather than a bill, the numbers are not accurate

🐾 I don’t work for AT&T or any carrier. Never have, never will. My replies are based on experience and reading content available on the website. If you posted personal information, please edit and remove.

Award for Community Excellence 2019 Achiever**I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

Verizon charges me only $1.85/ month in taxes. I know that AT&T MUST be committing massive fraud. I canceled them last summer after 1 month and 6 days. The taxes were approximately $30. I am in dispute of my bill and could not figure out who to talk to over there about it. I'm attempting to reconcile it somehow, I'm not giving up and paying them what they want. It's SOO frustrating to reconcile and move on. I'm going to write letters addressing it to credit bureaus and any other type of agency that possibly can do something about it.

Verizon charges me only $1.85/ month in taxes. I know that AT&T MUST be committing massive fraud. I canceled them last summer after 1 month and 6 days. The taxes were approximately $30. I am in dispute of my bill and could not figure out who to talk to over there about it. I'm attempting to reconcile it somehow, I'm not giving up and paying them what they want. It's SOO frustrating to reconcile and move on. I'm going to write letters addressing it to credit bureaus and any other type of agency that possibly can do something about it.

As a former and current Verizon customer, paying $4.36 in tax on a single line, that’s highly suspect reply. 🤨

🐾 I don’t work for AT&T or any carrier. Never have, never will. My replies are based on experience and reading content available on the website. If you posted personal information, please edit and remove.

Award for Community Excellence 2019 Achiever**I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

Starting 2/2019 my taxes dropped 80% on a 5 line account ($4 cheaper on each line). So I am being charged for the entire account what I had been charged for years for each line. There was no explanation or notification. It just happened. I cannot imagine the government dropped taxes so I have to assume AT&T was overcharging $20 per month for years.

I received my DirecTV bill and going over it I noticed an extra 69 cents added on with the statement "Federal Cost Recovery Charge" I immediately called DirecTV and asked to speak with customer services. A young lady came on the line and I told her my concerns and asked her to please explain the charge and she then placed me on hold and tried her best to come up with something that wasn't very convincing prompting me to ask for someone who could explain the charges to me, she then told me to look on back of bill and where it told about the extra charge being added, I already looked b I couldn't find a number anywhere that had a different that was any different than the one I had called to get to her. She then asked me if she could place me on hold again so she could look for one. When she came back she then proceeded to tell me to call City Hall and ask them to explain the charges and it would only be for 3 months for a total of $4.60 , needless to say it would be more like 6. Reading the info I could get out of what I read this charge is for the hearing or speech impairment , I don't have neither and don't think I should have to pay for something that they haven't been able to collect over the years. My question to you is do I have to pay this charge, it's not the amount but paying for something I don't even use.

I received my DirecTV bill and going over it I noticed an extra 69 cents added on with the statement "Federal Cost Recovery Charge" I immediately called DirecTV and asked to speak with customer services. A young lady came on the line and I told her my concerns and asked her to please explain the charge and she then placed me on hold and tried her best to come up with something that wasn't very convincing prompting me to ask for someone who could explain the charges to me, she then told me to look on back of bill and where it told about the extra charge being added, I already looked b I couldn't find a number anywhere that had a different that was any different than the one I had called to get to her. She then asked me if she could place me on hold again so she could look for one. When she came back she then proceeded to tell me to call City Hall and ask them to explain the charges and it would only be for 3 months for a total of $4.60 , needless to say it would be more like 6. Reading the info I could get out of what I read this charge is for the hearing or speech impairment , I don't have neither and don't think I should have to pay for something that they haven't been able to collect over the years. My question to you is do I have to pay this charge, it's not the amount but paying for something I don't even use.

This isn’t the TV forum.

If it’s a federal tax, it’s on the bill, you have to pay it.

I assume they are saying it’s for Close caption. Just like 911 fees we pay on our phone bill, we all pay for the system to work for all.

🐾 I don’t work for AT&T or any carrier. Never have, never will. My replies are based on experience and reading content available on the website. If you posted personal information, please edit and remove.

Award for Community Excellence 2019 Achiever**I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

Both phones were purchased long ago at the same time. Both lines/phones are spare phones that are kept at the company office "just in case". Thus, the 0 data usage and 0 calls/texts etc...

Line 1

Line 2

State Cost Recovery Fee

$0.04

$0.13

County District Sales Tax

$0.34

$0.84

TX State Sales Tax

$1.07

$2.64

I used this example to show that there is literally no difference between plans/equipment/usage and yet the taxes are different. We have 20 phone lines and this is a VERY common occurrence. Why would the fees/taxes be different in the above example?

Good question. For which I have no answer. I was not charged tax on an upgrade fee two years ago. At least not that I remember. I did however get charged tax on activation fees for new lines

🐾 I don’t work for AT&T or any carrier. Never have, never will. My replies are based on experience and reading content available on the website. If you posted personal information, please edit and remove.

Award for Community Excellence 2019 Achiever**I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.